BJP, TRS gear up for tussle over Liberation Day

‘Telangana Vimochana Diwas’ versus ‘Telangana Samaikyata Dinotsavam’ is the latest in the BJP-TRS tussle playing out in the state ahead of the Assembly elections next year.

On Saturday, while Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao unfurls the national flag at the Public Gardens as part of his government organised three-day “Telangana national integration diamond jubilee” event, Home Minister Amit Shah would, in Secunderabad Parade Grounds, inaugurate the year long commemoration of “Telangana Liberation Day”, sponsored by the Centre.

Both the central BJP and state TRS governments are organising these separate events for the first time, amid the growing confrontation between them over various issues and KCR’s repeated attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s style of governance.

Read | KCR decides to name new Secretariat after B R Ambedkar

The contest between the rival political parties is over the title, salutation accorded to the historic day, September 17, which this year marks the 74th anniversary of the Nizam ruled Hyderabad state’s annexation with India, a full 13 months after the nation attained independence from the British.

The event was preceded by a widespread armed uprising led by the Communists, and participated in by farmers and other commoners against the Nizam and his private militia called Razakars accused of committing atrocities on Hindus.

However, the Nizam agreed to sign the instrument of accession only after a five day Operation Polo aka “police action” when the Indian troops, overseen by India’s first home minister Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, marched into Hyderabad state.

The BJP wants the day to be commemorated as the liberation moment for the largely Hindu population of Hyderabad, then comprising parts of Karnataka and Maharashtra too, from the “tyrannical Nizam rule”. It extols “Iron-man” Patel as the liberator of Hyderabad.

Interestingly, the TRS chief Rao, who earlier demanded the united AP rulers to officially celebrate the vimochana divas, changed tack once he became the newly created Telangana state (which was entirely Nizam ruled) chief minister in 2014.

BJP leaders, cadres have been building pressure on KCR with the same demand, with agitations and barging into government offices on the day over the past eight years.

Also Read | TRS slams BJP's double standards on 'freebies'

BJP leaders from state to national level attribute KCR’s refusal to his affinity with the AIMIM and fear of offending the Muslim voters.

But, as he faces the BJP onslaught and the Centre’s move to officially celebrate Telangana liberation, CM Rao has now finally agreed to recognise “the transition of Telangana from an autocratic rule to democratic governance”.

And refusing the BJP’s vimochana concept, KCR has named the event as Telangana Jaatiya Samaikyata Vajrotsavam, to be held next year too when the annexation completes 75 years.

Ahead of Shah’s visit, state IT, Industries Minister K T Rama Rao accused the BJP of digging up past events to drive religious wedge between the communities.